


What Was Left Behind

by Paperjammed



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Breath of the Wild Spoilers, Gen, Implied Link/Malon, Implied Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Breath of the Wild, Post-Calamity Ganon, Post-Canon, Post-Majora's Mask, Post-Ocarina of Time, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paperjammed/pseuds/Paperjammed
Summary: Even after a million years, the Hero of Time's spirit could not rest in peace, and he was reawakened in a future all too different, and yet all too familiar to him.
Relationships: Link/Malon (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	1. In the Unfamiliar Future

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic about OoT Link discovering the ruins of Hyrule in BoTW, as well as events that transpired after his return to Hyrule from Termina after Majora's Mask. 
> 
> It may get a little confusing, so strap in bois

"And then, when all that has been done, we can start collecting taxes."

"Taxes. Just the thing everyone needs."

"Oh, shush, Link, we need the funds to rebuild Hyrule, and I don't think the Royal Vault has enough for an entire country."

Link and Zelda walked side by side, Zelda tapping away at the Sheikah slate as they travelled, Link pulling in both their horses right beside her.

“Okay, but  _ taxes? _ How do you plan on collecting taxes from all the regions, princess?" the champion asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, how else are we going to get funds from the people? We can't exactly just ask them for large amounts of donations." Zelda turned to her knight, mimicking his expression. "Technically, you could, I'm sure the people of Hyrule would be more than happy to help for a good cause." Link motioned to the vast country beside them, looking out at the ruins of Hyrule Castle.

Zelda stopped at the mention of the Hyrulean people, clutching the Sheikah slate tightly. Link noticed this immediately, stopping in his tracks. "Princess?" his head tilted slightly to better see her expression. 

She pursed her lips tightly, shaking her head. "Maybe you're right, Link. What made me think that I could unite Hyrule under one monarchy again?" she sighed, shaking her head. "Hey, that's not what I said," Link told her, frowning. "I know it isn't, but I've just been thinking. Maybe the people don't want to be ruled over by one government again." She turned to face him, gesturing to the landscape behind him. "We've been gone for a hundred  _ years _ , but everything's still mostly fine. They don't need us at all." She hung the Sheikah slate on her belt, rubbing her arms. 

Link placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. The princess looked up at him as she was shook, teary-eyed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe they don't need us right now, but you shouldn't give up just because of that," he said, wiping her eyes with a thumb. "What if something happens again? The people need to unite and work together, and they can't do that without a strong leader like you, Zelda." He smiled, gently cupping her cheek.

"I know you're gonna do great, and hey, if they really don't want to be under a monarchy again, we could always just go to Hateno and live there, start a new life or something. So don't give up, alright?" His hand moved to pinch her nose between his fingers, causing her to flinch and take his hand away. She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a palm before nodding. "Alright... thank you, Link." She nodded, returning his smile.

The two continued walking, Zelda discussing her future plans for the country while the hero nodded quietly beside her, giving comments or opinions every once in a while. Eventually, they stopped, Link tying their horses to a nearby tree before catching up to Zelda, who was much further ahead.

They looked up at the facade of the Temple of Time, or at least, what was left of it. "What are we doing here?" Link asked, turning his head to look at her. Zelda raised her Sheikah slate and used the camera rune, snapping pictures of the ruins. "We're here to assess the damage on the temple, so we know how much rupees we need to restore it," she stated, moving to the left of the temple. 

Link raised an eyebrow, watching her walk before jogging up to her. "I thought we were repairing Hyrule Castle first?" he stopped beside her, watching as she took pictures of the left side of the temple. "No, we're repairing the Temple first." She stopped to look up at him, raising an eyebrow. "But, the Castle is the symbol of Hyrule-" "And the Temple of Time is the symbol of our culture, Link, we have priorities," she cut him off, continuing to walk forward. 

"How?" he asked, following after her, looking towards the ruined temple. Zelda stopped abruptly, surprising the Hylian champion as he bumped into her. "I read that long ago, even when the first people of Hyrule started living in this land, the Temple of Time was there, and it stood strong." She looked up at the temple, temporarily putting down her slate. "Our ancestors worshipped the goddess inside, and even the Master Sword itself was housed in the Temple, I'm sure you know that." She turned to him, crossing her arms. "After all,  _ you _ sneaked into the Temple all those years ago and pulled it out," she stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

Link inhaled sharply, avoiding her gaze and scratching the back of his neck. "Look, I heard a voice, I followed, and it was inside the chamber. It's not my fault the guards weren't paying attention-" "Are you calling our guards incompetent?" Zelda once again cut him off, placing her hands on her hips and furrowing her eyebrows.

The Hero jumped at her sudden outburst, stepping backwards. "No! I mean, technically I became one of them for some time- Ah, look, let's just keep going." He sighed, gesturing for her to go ahead.

Zelda let out a  _ 'hmph!'  _ before continuing forward, continuing her picture taking. "Well, as I was saying, the Temple is an ancient treasure, and we must restore it. Plus, all our ceremonies will be held inside, and it wouldn't exactly be respectful to conduct them anywhere else," she said, moving towards the back. "Like your future coronation as queen?" Link chuckled, crossing his arms. Zelda flinched, turning a little pink. "I don't think I'm ready for that just yet..." she mumbled, rubbing her cheek. Link patted her shoulder before gently pushing her forward, "Maybe not now, but you will be. Now come on, let's finish this up and have some lunch afterwards," he said, nudging the Sheikah slate she held. Zelda huffed, brushing his hand off her shoulder as she held up the tablet, "Is food the only thing in your mind?" she teased, shaking her head.

A comfortable silence soon drifted between them as the princess finished photographing the perimeter of the Temple, before she gestured for them to enter the ruins through the main entrance as they circled back around. 

They stepped inside after Link made sure there were no monsters lurking about, Zelda raising her slate to take pictures of the interior. "I was thinking something simple, like rice balls. Not too heavy, but just enough to feel full," Link said as he picked up a clay pot, peeking inside it. "What are you feeling, Princess? Vegetables, fish, maybe meat?" He continued, looking back to her. The princess chuckled, now facing him. "I was just joking before, but now I'm genuinely curious, is food  _ really _ the only thing on your mind?" she asked, crossing her arms. The pot was broken, and a green rupee bounced out, Link picking up quickly. "Maybe it is, or maybe I'm just trying to make sure neither of us die of starvation." He shrugged, a small smile on his expression. 

"Neither of us are going to die of starvation, Link. It's just that..." Zelda hummed, looking back down to her slate, "You're so...chatty. You didn't talk this much back then," she said, fiddling with the slate. Footsteps were heard, and when she looked back up, Link was standing right in front of her, hands on her shoulders once again. "You already know why I was much quieter years ago, Princess. Now, would you like me to be quieter while you do your work?" He asked, his smile much wider. Zelda shook her head and returned the smile, placing one hand over his. "No, I enjoy your newfound talkativeness, even if all you ever talk about is food." 

Link let out a huff, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face. "I talk about other things! Ah, but now that we  _ are _ talking about food." Zelda let out a yelp as she was quickly hoisted up his shoulders, clutching her slate tightly. "Link, put me down! I'm not finished yet!" She protested, wriggling around in his grasp. "I'm only speeding up your work, Princess, you keep stopping and it's slowing us down." The Hero chuckled, walking towards the Goddess statue. "Now come on, the sooner we finish here, the sooner we can have some rice balls." He softly patted Zelda's bottom, humming. Zelda, however, continued to struggle, demanding to be put back down on solid ground, while her champion merely gave chuckles and hums in response as he walked.

The two continued their one-sided squabble, Link occasionally stopping to readjust his grip on the princess, but was quickly stopped when a strange noise came from behind the statue. Link's playful expression quickly morphed into something more serious as he quickly put Zelda down, the latter moving behind him as he pulled out the Master Sword from its scabbard on his back, readying in a battle stance, one arm outstretched to protect Zelda. 

Silence followed, Link watching the statue warily, ready for anything. After a long few seconds, another noise was heard, that of metal against stone, and the rustling of leaves. The Hero tensed, tightening his grip on the sword. Zelda held her breath, placing the Sheikah slate back in its place on her belt in fear of breaking it. She watched the Goddess statue as well, one hand clutching the dagger Link gave her for protection.

The pair watched as a figure appeared from behind the statue, the light from above giving it a sort of ethereal silhouette as it stumbled into their sights. It appeared to wear some kind of armour, though faint traces of green around its body seemed to suggest some kind of vegetation growing on the armour. Its metal boots scraped against the stone floor, and its helmet, accented by two horns on either side, though one seemed to be cut clean, lightly tapped against the statue. A low grumble could be heard from the figure as it straightened up, what looked to be a hand raising to hold its head, though it was hard to tell with the large shield attached to its forearm.

Link let out a breath he never knew he was holding, and quickly unbuckled the Hylian shield from his back, briefly looking back to Zelda before he stepped forward. The figure seemed to finally notice the two in front of it, and straightened up as it also noticed the weapon in Link's hand. "Halt!" A male voice left the figure as it raised one hand, the light shining against the golden gauntlet. Link did as he was told and stopped, raising his shield in preparation.

The hand that was outstretched pointed a finger at the Hero. "That sword you wield... How dare you hold the Master Sword in the absence of its master," the figure stated. Link looked to his sword, frowning. "This is my sword. I am its master," He told the figure, raising the sword in warning. A dry laugh was heard. "That is impossible. The figure finally stepped forward into the light, revealing a strikingly familiar face within his helmet. 

Link found himself looking at his own face, just missing an eye.

"I am its master." His mirror image told him, lips pulled into a frown.

The Master Sword glowed.


	2. The Other Knight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! so sorry i haven't updated this in literal years, i've been experiencing burnout on most of my fandom projects but i return now with a new chapter!
> 
> things may sound a little weird, because i actually started this chapter right after the first one, but dropped it. picked it up again only fairly recently, and my writing style or my ideas for their personalities may have changed but i didn't bother reading back and just continued on lol

Zelda watched as Link and his mirror image had a stare-down.

Though his doppelganger didn't have a weapon to draw, or perhaps he hadn't drawn it just yet, he was just as intimidating from his position in front of the Goddess statue. She felt Link stiffen in front of her as he made his way down the stairs towards them, the greenery on his armour rustling in the wind. 

The Master Sword continued to glow, much to her confusion, as she had only seen it do so once or twice before. Link's copy claimed that he was the master of the sword, and the sword seems to be reacting to it, but that would mean that his claim was true.

How can that be?

"Put down your weapons. I have no intentions to engage." Zelda was pulled out of her thought as the look-alike spoke. She heard Link scoff. "And how do we know you're not lying?" He said, moving closer to Zelda as she sheathed her dagger in compliance. "Link," she spoke, gently placing a hand on his back. The Hylian Champion gave her a confused look, but quickly faced his imitation again. "Do as you're told, boy." The duplicate spoke, stopping just a few feet away from the two.

Link scowled, his eyebrows furrowing.  _ "Boy? _ I'll have you know that I'm no  _ boy-"  _ "Your name is Link, is it not?" The clone cut him off, raising an eyebrow. Link was silenced, now a little more wary of his opponent. The double sighed as he was not given a response, removing his shield from his forearm and placing it on the ground, then raising both his hands in a sign of surrender. 

The Hero, however, did not yield. "How do you know my name?" He asked, now taking this opportunity to look at his twin properly. His splitting image, was maybe not his exact image as he first suspected. This one was at least an inch or two taller, and definitely looked much older, especially with the blind right eye with a cut going straight through it. Their hair were both blonde, but the doppelganger’s was more on the yellow side, and instead of wearing his hair in a ponytail, his bangs were simply parted in the middle to frame his face, letting the longer parts at the back hang freely.

"Because that is my name as well." The armoured man spoke, lowering one hand to gesture to himself. Now both Link and Zelda were even more confused.  _ This is too much of a coincidence to be simply that. _ Zelda thought, _ There must be some dark forces at play here... _ . The other Link looked at them both before sighing. 

"Listen, if you want an explanation, I'm afraid I don't have one either. I only have a guess, and even then it might not be correct." The other Link shrugged, looking to the side. "I know better than to trust guesses, but you really can trust me, I swear on it." He looked back to the younger two, stepping backwards to give them space.

Some tense minutes passed before Link finally let up, leaving his battle stance, but not sheathing his weapons just yet. "Clearly we can't call you Link, so what shall we call you?" Link asked, pointing at the older man with his sword. The other Link sighed in relief, putting his hands down, deciding to cross them instead. "I have... a lot of nicknames, but I suppose... Ulink will do," he said after some thought, shrugging. 

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Ulink?" she questioned, looking at Ulink from her position behind Link. "I'm not the most creative person, unfortunately." He opened his arms wide, a thin lipped smile on his face, surprisingly comfortable after nearly missing death by Master Sword. The princess suppressed a laugh, placing a hand on her cheek.

However, Link didn't share either sentiment of strange comfort or sudden hysterics, keeping stone-faced as he glared at Ulink, slowly sheathing his weapons. "Why are you here?" He asked, crossing his arms. Ulink looked back to the younger man, clearing his throat after realizing he was being addressed. "I'm not quite sure, actually. In fact, I don't even know where I am," he said, mimicking Link's stance. "You're in the Temple of Time, or uh, what's left of it at least," Zelda piped up from behind Link, the latter giving her a look afterwards.

Ulink's expression fell, and a mix of confusion and anxiety replaced it. "The Temple of...?" he muttered before looking around the ruins, then quickly making his way to the main entrance, pushing past the pair much to Link's dismay. They followed him outside the ruins, the older man stopping right outside the ruins and surveying the area. When the two caught up, he looked back to them, gesturing to the landscape.

"If this is the Temple, then where's Castle Town?" He asked, sounding more exasperated than anything. He turned his back to them again, leaves detaching themselves from his armour as the wind blew. "Where's the castle?!" He yelled out, his voice echoing. The younger two Hylians looked at each other, then looked back at him again. "Where's the cas-" He stopped when he turned his head, his eyes widening.

Ulink continued to stare in that direction before his body followed, turning that way, and soon enough, he was walking to the edge of the cliff face, stopping just shy of very edge as he looked at the ruins of Hyrule Castle in the distance, as well as what was left of the town surrounding it. His hands raised to remove his helmet, slipping it off his head and letting his hair blow in the wind as he stared at the castle.

Cautiously, Link and Zelda approached him, stopping when he turned his head again. "What happened to Hyrule while I was gone?" He asked, his expression solemn.

* * *

The three settled down once they got off the Great Plateau, Link setting up a fire and a pot to cook with as Zelda relayed the events of a century or so past to Ulink, who was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, hands clasped together in front of his face as he listened. Once Link was finished making enough rice balls for the three of them, handing over Zelda's share and hesitantly giving Ulink his share, the tale was finished and Ulink let out a deep breath.

He took Link's rice balls and carefully unwrapped them from their leafy confines, cradling them in his gauntlets.

“So let me get this straight…” he began, head turning to face Zelda. “ _ You _ are Princess Zelda.” He pointed a finger at the young lady, who nodded. “And…  _ he _ is the chosen Hero.” He then pointed to Link, who only spared him a glance. “That’s right,” Zelda said, taking a bite of her lunch.

Ulink bit the inside of his cheek, chewing a little before turning to look at Hyrule Castle again. “And Ganondorf, or Calamity Ganon, whatever,  _ used _ to be in there.” He pointed to the structure, looking back to the two for affirmation. Once the princess nodded again, he let out another sigh. “Goddesses, how long have I been gone…?” he muttered to himself, one hand pressing against his forehead as he processed all this information. 

Zelda watched as Ulink looked off into nothing before he shoved an entire rice ball into his mouth, startling the poor girl as he finished his lunch in a mere few seconds. He noticed the princess watching him, as well as the hero, who looked more disgusted than intrigued. 

He at least had the decency to give a sheepish smile, refolding the leaf his lunch came in. “Sorry, just… haven’t eaten for…” his eyes shifted around as he thought of a number, then grimacing before saying “...A while.”

Link pursed his lips. “Do you want more?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Ulink nodded quickly, a little flushed. Zelda chuckled, “Here, you can have mine.” She offered her lunch to him, but was quickly stopped by Link’s outstretched hand. “No,” he said, “I’ll make more.” The two stared at each other for a while, Zelda looking equal parts confused and frustrated, and Link glaring right back before he turned to the pot, relighting the fire.

The older man watched all this go down, quite awkwardly. He slowly put the leaf down onto the trunk he was sitting on and carefully removing his gauntlets, revealing flakes of dried skin and dirt underneath. He makes a face as he brushes his hands off, mumbling to himself.

“What about you, Ulink?” Zelda asked when she turned back to the other man, taking a bite out of her own rice ball, “What’s your story?”. Ulink raised an eyebrow as his name was mentioned, before he straightened his posture and grabbed his helmet, which was sitting on the grass just beside his feet.

He fingered the tarnished metal, pursing his lips as he did. “I was the Captain of the Hylian Army for the longest time, I became a Commander for a little while before… well, before things went wrong,” he told her as he picked at the leaves on the helmet.

Ulink was taken aback by the sound of laughter as he turned his head to see the princess chuckling, shaking her head. 

“I know that,” she said, “I can tell by your armour, it took me a minute but I recognize it from the history books.” She took another bite of her lunch, taking a moment to chew and swallow. “But what’s  _ your _ story, Ulink?” 

The old soldier smiled, weighing the helmet in his hands before placing it back down on the ground. He opened his mouth to answer, only to be rudely interrupted as the young knight practically shoved a rice ball into his mouth.

“Link!” Zelda scolded him, an angry expression replacing the more somber face she had beforehand. 

But instead of feeling angry, Ulink burst into laughter, bits of rice flying from his mouth as he did. He chewed and swallowed his own food before shaking his head. “It’s alright, princess,” he said, wiping the grains of rice from his face.

“Your knight still doesn’t trust me, and I can’t blame him,” he gave a smile to Link, whose sour expression only worsened as his doppelganger seemed unfazed by his actions.

“Still, there’s no excuse to be rude towards a guest-”

_ “Guest?” _ Link then turned towards the princess with his own exasperated expression.“We picked up a random man in the Temple of Time claiming to be some sort of hero of the past, and you’re calling him a  _ guest?” _ He gestured to the other with his wooden spoon. 

He began reaching for the pot, but before his hand could even touch the handle, Zelda grabbed it and pulled him to the side, walking away from Ulink, who looked away as soon as they left, still chuckling.

She let go of him as soon as they were out of the other’s earshot, and Zelda crossed her arms, glaring at Link. “Explain yourself.” She ordered, opting to use her more authoritative voice. 

Her knight sighed, raising a hand to his forehead as he did. There was a moment of silence between them as Link thought through his answers and Zelda stood waiting, beginning to tap her foot in impatience.

Eventually, he broke the silence with another sigh, hand dropping from his forehead. “I… was just trying to protect you.” was the answer he chose, his hand moving to rest on his hips instead. 

Zelda raised an eyebrow, her foot tapping stopping. “Protect me,” she repeated, and he nodded in response. She chewed on her cheek as she thought to herself, briefly looking over to Ulink, who was brushing off the plants that grew on his gauntlets.

They both watched as the older knight picked at the leaves, both also turning away when Ulink eventually noticed their gaze. 

“If Ulink wanted to hurt me, he’d have done so already,” she told him, continuing her glare. “So you trust him, just like that?” Link retorted, returning his own glare. “I am more than capable of defending myself, Link-” “Not against someone with  _ full  _ armour, Zelda!” He cut her off, gesturing to the other man with a hand.

“If he  _ really _ had no intention to hurt you, then he’d have no reason to keep his armour on-” “Well, perhaps if you didn’t look like you’d threaten his life at  _ every second,  _ then he’d have no reason to keep his armour!” Zelda raised her voice, pointing a finger to the knight. 

Link’s eyebrows furrowed as the tension between the two only thickened. “We’ve only  _ just _ saved Hyrule, Zelda, there are  _ still _ monsters that need to be taken care of, so who can say if he’s  _ really _ someone we can trust, or a creature that’s trying to get close to you to hurt you?” His own voice softened, as concern erased any traces of anger left in his face.

Gently, he took her hand in both of his, “You know more about the way these monsters behave outside of combat than I do, and you know I can’t risk your life because of  _ my _ shortcomings,” he told her, squeezing her hand. 

Her own expression softened as well, her free hand resting on top of his. “I know, Link. But you have to understand that I can still take care of myself, alright?” she said, looking up at him to meet his eyes. “If anything were to really happen, then I know that you’ll have my back.” She gave him a reassuring smile, returning the squeeze he gave her.

Link bowed his head, gently resting it atop their clasped hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you… I’m just worried,” he apologized softly. “I understand, it’s alright,” she responded, her hand moving to cup his cheek.

“Though…” she began, Link raising his head as he followed her gaze towards Ulink, who was now shaking greenery from within his gauntlets, out of it. “...I think you owe someone else an apology.” Zelda turned back to Link, who sighed.

The two returned to the campfire, Ulink brushing the last of the plant life from his gauntlets and looking up to the two as they approached. “Looks like you two had quite the talk,” he said, giving them a polite smile.

Zelda nudged Link with an elbow, who recoiled from the hit before clearing his throat, both hands behind his back. “I apologize for my behavior earlier, Ulink,” he apologized, hesitantly.

Ulink seemed to notice his hesitance, chuckling. “Oh, it’s alright, I understand,” he replied, putting his gauntlets back down on the ground and motioning for the two to sit back down. “You’ve known me for literal hours, if anything, I’d be angrier if you  _ didn’t _ do anything.”

Link raised an eyebrow as he removed the pot from the fireplace, placing it down onto the grass and going to dismantle the stands holding it above the flames. 

Counting this as a question of “What?”, Ulink only smiled and shook his head. “You think you’re the only ‘Link’ tasked to bodyguard the princess? I swear, I probably spent more of my life standing next to her than with my own wife!” He laughed, Zelda chuckling beside him, though his own smile was beginning to waver.

The princess noticed this, and her own expression morphed to that of concern. “Ulink?” She tilted her head to get a better look at the other knight’s bowed head, his hands now clasped in front of him.

“If Castle Town is gone…” he began, slowly turning to the girl, “Then what happened to the ranch?” 

Zelda and Link looked at each other, silently questioning each other before looking back to the older man, whose jolly facade was quickly slipping away. 

“The ranch, Lon Lon Ranch, what happened to it?” He asked louder, now standing up, his hands fidgeting at his sides. 

“Um… Link…?” Zelda turned back to Link, who glanced at her briefly before looking back to the man, on guard, but thinking. 

“... I don’t remember seeing any ranches near the castle… either before or after the Calamity,” Link answered, looking back to the princess for confirmation. Zelda thought about it as well, “I’m not sure about after the Calamity, but I do remember seeing some ruins  _ before _ \--”

“Ruins?!” Ulink interrupted, Link giving him a fierce glare afterwards, though Zelda quickly grabbed his arm before he could say anything. “Perhaps we could see if it’s still there, it shouldn’t be too far from here,” she suggested, motioning to the horses that were grazing nearby.

Ulink gave them no response, though him picking up his gauntlets and marching towards the horses was response enough, Link running after him to get to the horses first.

They made a silent compromise, Link and Zelda would share her horse while Ulink rode Link’s. The older knight didn’t need a crash course in horse riding before charging ahead the moment he was settled in, the other two racing after him.

The two horses raced against the wind, Ulink seemed to know exactly where he was going, with or without Link shouting directions from behind him, as if riding that particular path had become nothing short of muscle memory.

They eventually slowed at the sight of the ruins, Ulink straightening from his hunched position to slowly come to a stop just outside the rotting wooden archway.

Link and Zelda stopped just behind him, Zelda getting off the horse first to approach Ulink, who sat petrified on Link’s horse, staring at the archway.

The ruins had been reduced to nothing but old wood on a patch of land. Long, uncut grass danced with the wind within the makeshift fences that ran around the perimeter of the ruins. There was an old house, just barely keeping itself together opposite them, and at the sight of it, Ulink urged the horse to go forward, passing the archway. 

“Ulink!” Zelda called after him, though her call fell on deaf ears as the man looked around the ruins, eyes wide and mouth agape. 

Link eventually got off the horse as well, quickly approaching Zelda before the two hesitantly followed after the older knight.

Once they walked all the way across, passing the Bokoblin camp Link had dismantled before and arriving at the ruined house, Ulink finally dismounted, walking towards the ruins of the building, one hand gently tracing the concrete, as if he were afraid that a single touch would topple it over.

While Ulink was preoccupied with the concrete ruins, Zelda continued to look around, specifically at the ruins just outside the archway that looked much more dilapidated than the house behind her, wondering what could have possibly happened to this place to leave it in this state.

Her attention was stolen by the sound of creaking wood, and she looked back to watch Ulink carefully open a rotting wooden door, its hinges squeaking and the floorboards protesting as the man in armour stepped inside. 

She was about to follow him inside, though was quickly stopped as Link placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. 

So they waited just outside the ruins, sometimes they’d hear the creaking of the wood, the sound of chests opening, and even the man’s sighs and quiet sniffles. 

Eventually he reemerged back outside, looking more devastated than he had before, the stoic face they saw at the Temple of Time was replaced by the face of a man in grief, who quickly sat at the doorway of the ruined home, quietly sobbing into his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if any of you recognize the name ulink within the zelda fanfic community
> 
> :)

**Author's Note:**

> You can keep up to date with chapters posted by either bookmarking this work or following me on Instagram (@paperjammed_), Twitter(@paperjammed_) or Tumblr (Paperjammed) :)


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